You'll want to plan your Independence Day getaway accordingly
These Are the Best—And Worst—Times for Avoiding 4th of July Traffic
Published on Jun. 26, 2025
Celebrating the 4th of July is one of the highlights of the summer season, and the holiday week surrounding it is nearly here! In addition to fireworks, barbecues and patriotic colors on display, there’s one other aspect of Independence Day festivities we have all come to expect: traffic.
July 4th is one of the most heavily traveled holidays of the year, and this year is no different. In fact, AAA predicts that more than 61 million people will travel by car to and from their celebration destination—that’s more than 2% higher than last year, and the highest volume on record for the 4th of July. The holiday week, between Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, July 6, is shaping up to be a tough time for anyone out on the road.
But that doesn’t mean you need to stay home. Rather, planning ahead can go a long way in making your road trip go smoothly. AAA teamed up with S&P Global Market Intelligence to find out which times are the best and worst to travel during the holiday week, so you can steer clear of the congestion and start having fun as soon as possible.
Keep reading to find out when you should travel for the 4th of July to avoid the worst of the traffic, and which times are the best for getting to and from your destination.
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How were the best and worst times to travel over July 4th weekend determined?
It took a lot of careful consideration by researchers from AAA and S&P to determine the best and worst times to travel over July 4th weekend. They reviewed a wide range of factors, including economic variables (such as employment, interest rates and household net worth), travel and tourism-related variables (such as gas prices, airline travel and hotel stays) and historical travel volume since 2000. Those historical travel volume numbers were estimated by MMGY’s Travel Performance/MonitorSM, which contacts more than 50,000 households every month to gather detailed information about people’s travel behavior.
The travel period under consideration covers the nine days between Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, July 6.
What are the best times to drive to and from your July 4th destination?
The best time to drive to and from your July 4th destination is as early in the morning as possible. If you’re not able to get an early start, you might want to consider leaving late at night instead. While it might make sense to leave a few days early in theory, the reality is that 4th of July traffic will already be in full swing the entire week leading up to the holiday. Your best bet is to avoid peak times as much as possible.
Here are the best times to drive to—and home from—your July 4th destination:
- Saturday, June 28: Before 10 a.m.
- Sunday, June 29: Before 11 a.m.
- Monday, June 30: Before 12 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 1: Before 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 2: Before 12 p.m.
- Thursday, July 3: Before 12 p.m.
- Friday, July 4: Before 12 p.m.
- Saturday, July 5: Before 11 a.m.
- Sunday, July 6: Before 11 a.m.
What are the worst times to drive to and from your July 4th destination?
Stay off the roads during the middle of the day. Here are the times you’ll definitely want to avoid driving to and from 4th of July festivities if you can help it, according to AAA:
- Saturday, June 28: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
- Sunday, June 29: 2 p.m.–4 p.m.
- Monday, June 30: 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 1: 3 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 2: 12 p.m.–9 p.m.
- Thursday, July 3: 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Friday, July 4: 12 p.m.–7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 5: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Sunday, July 6: 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
What are the worst driving routes on July 4?
If you’ve got big plans to celebrate Independence Day with your nearest and dearest, you only have so much wiggle room when it comes to where you’ll enjoy the 4th of July festivities. That means you may not be able to dodge traffic entirely, but if you plan carefully, you may be able to steer clear of the worst of it. Knowing which routes are the worst driving routes throughout the holiday week might help you avoid traversing them during peak congestion times.
Don’t forget that you should always check your local news and go-to traffic apps to make sure you have the latest travel information before heading out the door. Below, you’ll find some of the routes with the most anticipated traffic throughout the week leading up to July 4 and the worst times to travel on them, according to AAA.
Boston
- Route: Boston to Hyannis via Route 3 S
- Peak congestion: Saturday, June 28, at 10:45 a.m.
- Route: Hyannis to Boston via Route 3 N
- Peak congestion: Saturday, July 5, at 11:45 a.m.
Los Angeles
- Route: Los Angeles to San Diego via Route I-5 S
- Peak congestion: Saturday, June 28, at 5 p.m.
- Route: Las Vegas to Los Angeles via Route I-15 S
- Peak congestion: Sunday, July 6, at 5 p.m.
New York
- Route: New York to Jersey Shore via Garden State Pkwy S
- Peak congestion: Tuesday, July 1, at 4:30 p.m.
- Route: Albany to New York via Route I-87 S
- Peak congestion: Sunday, July 6, at 4:15 p.m.
Tampa
- Route: Tampa to Orlando via Route I-4 E
- Peak congestion: Wednesday, July 2, at 2:30 p.m.
- Route: Orlando to Tampa via Route I-4 W
- Peak congestion: Friday, July 4, at 3:45 p.m.
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